Returned
by InTheArmsofaTheif
Summary: -One Shot- It really bugs me that every one just casually mentions Sasuke's return a 'few years/weeks/days ago' durring their stories. So, I wrote this story as a semi logical reason for his return and how it would affect the others, mainly Sakura.


**Returned**

Sakura sat crying in the store room of the hospital. She needed to break down, just for a bit, and recompose herself and tend to her patients. But mostly, she needed to cry. Her mind was empty of thought, only glimpses of memory of last week would slip in. And she cried, angry at herself for being so weak. Angry at herself for crying, Sakura could do nothing else at the moment.

* * *

_Sakura and the other medics raced out of the hospital at the noise. A fight could be heard from the front gates. Sakura could feel the ground shake and the shouts of fear. Tsunade jumped to the ground in front of Sakura from the top level of the hospital where had been treating a massive burn patient._

"_Hokage-sama, what's going on?" One of the medics asked._

_She didn't answer, but instead ran to the source of the commotion. Sakura stood their frozen, not believing the chakra she felt. Then, all at once she snapped out of it and started following her mentor. "Sasuke!"_

* * *

Sakura stood up, whipping her face of tears with her hand. She knew she looked horrible, but there was no way for her to fix it in her state of being. With a few calming breaths, Sakura closed her eyes and braced her self for reality. Sakura placed her hand on the closet door handle and opened her eyes, a new determination radiating from her eyes but a sense of emptiness behind them.

* * *

_When Sakura reached the front gates, her suspicion was confirmed. It was Sasuke. He was surrounded by a fleet of the village's top ANBU and Shinboi, with Naruto in the middle. She stared from her spot on a roof nearby. It was Sasuke, it was _really _Sasuke. Yet, he just stood there, not doing anything as Naruto stared him down and trying not to go crazy. Then something happened that Sakura didn't expect. He looked at her. Uchiha Sasuke looked directly at Sakura with his dark and cold eyes. She felt the gaze of Naruto, and slowly every other person in the area all on her. Still all she could see was Sasuke._

_And as much as Sakura had been dreaming of the day Sasuke would return, she never truly believed he would. And above that, is what Sasuke had become. _

"_No," she whispered, shaking her head slowly, "you're not the same. You're not my Sasuke-kun." Turning around, with all the eyes of Kohona on her, she ran._

* * *

Sakura walked down the corridors of the hospital, other nurses avoiding her gaze as she walked past. Not in shame, but in empathy. How are they supposed to treat a higher up that just had one of the biggest influences of her life come back out of nowhere after being an S-Class missing-nin? By not saying or doing anything.

"Sakura-san?" A nurse asked, coming up to her, shocking Sakura out of her stupor. "Tsunade-sama said she would, that she would like to see you in room 20-K," the nurse rushed her request and headed away.

Sakura nodded to no one in particular and started her way up the stairs towards Sasuke's room.

* * *

_The members of her fellow rookie teams from so long ago stood outside the Hokage's office, along with Gai-sensi's students.. All nine of them stared at Sakura as she walked up to them. _

"_Naruto and Kakashi are inside already," Ino said quietly, not adding what Sakura didn't want to really hear. _With Sasuke.

_Sakura entered the room with a careful stride. Ignoring the stares she received from everyone, Sakura took her place standing next to Naruto. She glanced up at him and their eyes locked for a moment, each asking the same question. _Sasuke returned, but now what? _Neither of them had thought that far._

_Sakura turned her attention onto Sasuke. With all his strength and chakra and visible muscles, he looked broken. Four shinobi surrounded him, using their chakra to make a cage nothing could easily penetrate. _

_Beside Naruto, Kakashi nodded his head toward the Hokage and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. In return, Naruto gripped his hand with Sakura's, and, for once, she did not object. _

* * *

Sakura reached room 20-K and had to take another deep breath before entering. There lay Sasuke, his eyes closed and all his readings displayed on the machines surrounding him along with the four shinobi that rotated being by his side.

"Sakura," Tsunade smiled when she entered, "I'm glad you came. I know this is difficult for you."

Sakura shook her head and tried her best to smile. "He's just another patient."

The Hokage, with all of her own character flaws, was still observant and intelligent. She frowned at Sakura's statement, knowing very well that that was not the case. "I still haven't been able to diagnose what is causing this."

Sakura looked up at her mentor, hiding the horror deep behind her eyes. She knew that if they didn't act soon, his condition would become critical.

* * *

"_Uchiha Sasuke, the crimes you have committed can not be so easily forgave. There will be serious consequences." If it wasn't for the seriousness of the matter, the seriousness of the Hokage would have made Naruto and Sakura laugh, but they knew this situation had no humor. "Instead of listing all of what you have done against Kohona, answer my questions truthfully. Why did you come back willingly?"_

_Sasuke looked up, his dark eyes boring into Tsunade's own. "I need your help."_

_At this all present looked at the Uchiha in shock. The four shinobi keeping him prisoner did not brood on it long and continued their concentration. _

"_What could we help you with?" Tsunade asked._

_Sasuke never left his gaze into the Hokage's eyes, but he never activated even his Sharingun. Then, Sasuke spoke the words that brought Sakura to leave. "I'm dying."_

* * *

Sakura recorded his carts absentmindedly and searched for a cause. There was nothing. There was no plausible reasoning for his condition.

"Sa-ku-ra?" a voice huffed out.

Sakura spun on her heal to face the awakening Sasuke. He was getting worse. Sasuke's eyes looked upon Sakura with a dull haze. Sakura didn't waste this opportunity, Sasuke hadn't been awake in three days.

"Sasuke?" She started. Sakura motioned for the shinobi to let her through the barrier. "Sasuke," she said, now standing by his be side, "are you sure you don't remember _anything_ that could help us diagnose what's wrong with you?"

All he did was nodd.

"Is there anything that you ate that you didn't make yourself, or a point of origin that your pain started or the last person you had fought?"

Sauske slowly turned his head from one side to another. "Saku-ra, I," he started.

"Shhh, don't talk, save your strength," she ordered.

* * *

_Sakura was sitting on the bridge railing where they had once waited every day with Sasuke for their teacher when Naruto found her. She knew Naruto wasn't good at the quiet letting out of emotion, the only time he got through to people was when they were battling. _

"_Soooo…?" he said, sitting next to her on the railing._

_Sakura lifted her head up to look into his eyes, the ones most people compared to the sky, but she compared them to the ocean. The sky can become angry, but the ocean has depths to it's emotions. His smile was lopsided and straining, not the normal Naruto grin. This was obviously effecting him greatly as well._

"_I thought I would be happy," she stated simply.  
Naruto frowned, "So did I."_

"_But now he's…" Sakura trailed off._

"_Dying," Naruto finished for her._

_Sakura shook her head. "Changed. No matter how far I search his eyes, I can't find _him_."_

"_He's there," Naruto informed her. "He's just lost."_

"_I loved him," she said._

"_I know."_

* * *

Sauske's fingers brushed the one's Sakura had been resting by his side. She looked down at the contact in surprise when he took her hand in hers.

"Sauske, I can't. I have to go."

Sauske looked into her eyes as if trying to will her to stay.

"Sauske, I have other patients, and you can't tell me anything. I'm not sure how much of a friend I can consider you after so many years of… But I am sure of one thing. I can't, I don't love you any more."

And with those words, his hand slipped away, as if all hope was lost.


End file.
